1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fiber optic light driving module and a method of providing a decorative night lighting system.
2. Background of the Invention
Children's rooms, hallways and bathrooms have frequently been the location of night lights. The lighting is well known to many families with small children and others who get up during the night and want to be able to see well enough to traverse a hallway or locate a wall switch or bathroom sink. These lights have historically used a low wattage bulb capable of being plugged in and lit 24 hours per day seven days per week, with just enough illumination to allow others to navigate by but not enough to bright enough that users will need to turn the light off to go to sleep. The lights may have decorative figures or characters or art on an outer diffuser further diffusing the light.
The current light provides an attractive useful light for as a night light. In the preferred form, the light has a wall mounting base for plugging, into an electrical wall outlet. Above the base, an acrylic tube is mounted having a LED mounted below or within the acrylic. Preferably an inner reflective coating or reflective stripes direct the light upwardly through the acrylic to an angled top. The inclined top of the light acts to direct a portion of the light outward to spotlight a desired area.
In a second embodiment, the base unit acts as a light driver for directing light outwardly from the housing through fiber optics or nylon rope covered fiber optics connected to the housing for directing the light to pre-specified areas for use as a flashlight or spot light. The light may also be directed outwardly along the length of the fiber optic or covered fiber optic for use as edge lighting or other decorative purposes. The light may be controlled to provide color changes or strobing or other effects to enhance the decorative capability of the lighting.
In a third embodiment, the light driver directs light through fiber optics that are inserted within or parallel to water hoses or garden style hoses to either spot light the area being sprayed with water, or to illuminate the length of the tubing for decorative purposes. The light may also have a color driver for controlling the apparent color of the light. The color can be changed based on other selected criteria, for instance to show the status of a filter connected to the water hose or by providing different color lights along different hoses, for identifying the various hoses.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.